EDITORIAL: New York's culture of corruption

In this courtroom sketch, state Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, center left, stands in federal court next to his attorney Gerald Shargel on Tuesday in White Plains, N.Y. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Williams)

It was quite a week in Albany World.

Federal authorities arrested state Sen. Malcolm Smith, New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran and a raft of other politicians in an alleged plot by Smith to bribe his way onto the GOP ballot line for New York City mayor.

Two days later, Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, a Democrat, was arrested in a bribery investigation in which state Assemblyman Nelson Castro, who was facing state perjury charges, cooperated. Stevenson and four businessmen allegedly conspired to pass a state law protecting a Bronx adult daycare center from competition.

The arrests caused Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara to reflect, "From time to time the question arises, 'How common is corruption in New York?' Based on the cases we continue to bring, it seems downright pervasive."

Advertisement

Bharara drew "the sad conclusion that political corruption in New York is indeed rampant and that a show-me-the-money culture in Albany is alive and well."

In the vernacular, Halloran allegedly was recorded saying, "That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much... and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that. And they get like that because of the drive that the money does for everything else. You can't do anything without the f--ing money. ..."

Each in his own way, Bharara and Halloran summed up one of the worst-kept secrets in the Empire State.

But the people responsible for this state of affairs were having none of it.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver made it a classic case of a bad apple, characterizing Stevenson's arrest as simply a "clear violation of the public trust and cannot be tolerated."

Doing his best riff off the inspector in "Casablanca," Gov. Andrew Cuomo asserted he was "appalled" -- that's right, "appalled" -- to learn that there was corruption in state politics.

"The allegations of public corruption by city and state officials revealed this week are appalling," Cuomo said. "New Yorkers deserve a government that is as good as the people it serves and the events of the last few days fail this and every standard of public service."

Like it was a surprise.

Worse was Cuomo's assertion that the conduct alleged is just "part of the human condition" and, therefore, not actually something that could be transformed by changing how Albany does business.

Puh-leeze.

Cuomo campaigned three years ago on a promise of a new day in Albany, very much including changing its ethical culture.

On that score, he has failed.

Cuomo has failed to bring sunlight and transparency to the legislative process, which is nothing more than four men in a room behind closed doors.

And, of course, he failed to fulfill his promise to insist on independent reapportionment of legislative districts. Folded like a house of cards, actually.

"When people are unaccountable and they feel untouchable," Benjamin said, "they feel they can engage in any behavior that enriches them or advances their ambition."

Or, as Bharara put it, "It is more likely for a New York state senator to be arrested by the authorities than to be defeated at the polls."

Yeah, corruption and uncompetitive elections are definitely connected and that is a legislative problem Cuomo and other Albany leaders stubbornly refuse to fix despite a procession of arrests, indictments, convictions and resignations of public officials.

So, when Cuomo said, "We have zero tolerance for any violation of the public integrity and the public trust," it just rang hollow.

That just isn't true. Not even close.

If it were true, Governor, you would have done something to prevent it from happening -- again and again and again -- as you promised you would, instead of thumping your chest in phony indignation when your failure to act bears its predictably bitter fruit.

Editor's note: This editorial was modified 06:03 AM 04/8/2013 to correct the name of Daniel Halloran.